Belt clip for hand-held power tool

ABSTRACT

A tool with a tool body, a clip and a retainer. The tool body has a clip aperture that extends through first and second sides of the tool body. The clip has a clip structure and a post that is generally transverse to the clip. The retainer is carried by one of the tool and the post and is configured to releasably engage the other one of the tool body an the post when the post is inserted into the clip aperture. The post may be inserted into the clip aperture from either the first side of the tool body or the second side of the tool body. A method for attaching a belt clip to a tool is also provided.

INTRODUCTION

The present invention generally relates hand-held tools and more particularly to a belt clip for a hand-held tool including power tools such as nailers.

Many tools, particularly nailers, are provided with belt clips that permit the user to suspend the tool from a tool belt so that the tool may be kept in close proximity to the user. These belt clips are typically coupled to the tool via threaded fasteners, such as a nut that is threaded onto an air inlet nipple against the belt clip or through screws that attach the belt clip to a part of the tool's housing. Such means for coupling belt clips to tools, however, tend to be inconvenient in some respects when the belt clip is to be repositioned to another side of the tool (e.g., to accommodate left and right handed users) or removed from the tool altogether. Specifically, these coupling means require the use of tools to remove and replace the fasteners that are employed to couple the belt clip to the tool.

SUMMARY

In one form, the present teachings provide a tool with a tool body, a clip and a retainer. The tool body has a clip aperture that extends through first and second sides of the tool body. The clip has a clip structure and a post that is generally transverse to the clip. The retainer is carried by one of the tool and the post and is configured to releasably engage the other one of the tool body an the post when the post is inserted into the clip aperture. The post may be inserted into the clip aperture from either the first side of the tool body or the second side of the tool body.

In another form the present teachings provide a method that includes: pushing a button to release a latch; withdrawing a belt clip from an aperture in a tool body; inserting the belt clip into the aperture from an opposite side of the tool body; and latching the belt clip to the tool housing.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the right side of a tool constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the tool of FIG. 1 illustrating the belt clip and latch in more detail;

FIG. 3 is a partially sectioned perspective view illustrating the belt hook coupled to the housing; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the right side of the tool of FIG. 1 but illustrating the belt clip in an alternative position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a tool constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the tool 10 is a fastening tool and can include an output member, such as a driver 12, and a motor, such as an electric motor 14, that is configured drive the output member. In the particular example provided, the motor drives a flywheel (not specifically shown) and energy is transmitted from the flywheel to the driver to translate the driver. The construction and operation of the motor, flywheel and driver is discussed in more detail in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/______, entitled “______” filed on even date herewith. While the tool 10 is described in this particular example as including a rotary motor and a output member that is translated along an axis, it will be appreciated that the tool 10 may be configured differently. In this regard, the tool 10 need not be a power tool. If the tool 10 is a power tool, the motor need not be an electric motor and could be any type of motor including a pneumatic motor; the motor need not produce a rotational output but rather could produce a linear output; and the output member need not be translated but could also be rotated or a combination of translated and rotated.

With reference to FIG. 2, the tool 10 can have a housing 16, a latch 18, a biasing spring 20 and a belt clip 22.

The housing 16 can include an internal cavity 30, which can house the latch 18 and the biasing spring 20, a clip aperture 32, which can extend through the opposite sides of the housing 16, a button aperture 34 and a spring mount 36. The clip aperture 32 can have a non-circular shape, such as a triangular shape, so as to inhibit rotation of the belt clip 22 relative to the housing 16. A lock element aperture 38 can extend between the clip aperture 32 and the internal cavity 30. The button aperture 34 can extend through an endwall 40 of the housing 16 and intersects the internal cavity 30. The spring mount 36 can be located in-line with the button aperture 34 and can include a reaction wall member 42, which can extend generally parallel to the endwall 40, and a gusset 44 that couples the sidewall 46 of the housing 16 to the wall member 42 on a side opposite the button aperture 34.

The latch 18 can include a latch structure 50, a locking element 52 and a button 54. The latch structure 50 can include a first arm member 56, a second arm member 58, which can be generally parallel to the first arm member 56, and a spacing leg 60 that can space the first and second arm members 56 and 68 apart from one another in a generally transverse direction. The locking element 52, which can have a blade-like shape, can be coupled to the first arm member 56 while the button 54 can be coupled to the second arm member 58. The latch 18 can be configured to be received into the internal cavity 30 in the housing 16 such that the locking element 52 extends through the lock element aperture 38 and into the clip aperture 32 and the button 54 extends through the button aperture 34.

The biasing spring 20 can be a compression spring and can bias the latch 18 toward the endwall 40 and into an extended position so that the locking element 52 extends into the clip aperture 32. Translation of the latch 18 in a direction opposite the biasing force of the biasing spring 20 can be caused by pushing the top of the button 54 toward the endwall 40.

The belt clip 22 can include a clip structure 70 and a post 72 that can be oriented generally transverse to the clip structure 70. The post 72 can have a shape that is complementary to the clip aperture 32 and can have a tapered leading edge 74 and a latch recess 76. When the post 72 is inserted into the clip aperture 32, the tapered leading edge 74 can push the locking element 52 out of the clip aperture 32 to permit the post 72 to be fully inserted into the housing 16. With additional reference to FIG. 3, full insertion of the post 72 into the housing 16 can align the latch recess 76 to the locking element 52 and the force of the biasing spring 20 can urge the locking element 52 into the latch recess 76 to inhibit the withdrawal of the post 72 from the clip aperture 32. Accordingly, the belt clip 22 may be securely fastened to the housing 16 without resort the use of tools or threaded fasteners. A lip 78 can be formed about the post 72 and can be configured to touch the exterior surface of the sidewall 46 when the latch recess 76 is approximately aligned to the locking element 52.

When the belt clip 22 is to be removed or repositioned to the opposite side of the tool 10 (FIG. 4), a user can press the button 54 to withdraw the locking element 52 form the latch recess 78, withdraw the post 72 from the clip aperture 32, insert the belt clip 22 into the clip aperture 32 from an opposite side of the tool 10, and latch the belt clip 22 to the housing 16.

While the tool 10 has been illustrated and described herein as carrying a latch that may be employed to engage a single recess on a post, it will be appreciated that the invention, in its broadest aspects, may be constructed somewhat differently. For example, the post may be configured with several latch recesses to permit the distance between the clip structure and the exterior surface of the sidewall to be selectively adjusted by the user. As another example, the latch may be carried by the post and the latch recess may be formed in the housing of the tool.

While the invention has been described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings with reference to various embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, the mixing and matching of features, elements and/or functions between various embodiments is expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from this disclosure that features, elements and/or functions of one embodiment may be incorporated into another embodiment as appropriate, unless described otherwise, above. Moreover, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment illustrated by the drawings and described in the specification as the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include any embodiments falling within the foregoing description and the appended claims. 

1. A tool comprising: a tool body having a clip aperture that extends through first and second sides of the tool body; a clip having a clip structure and a post that is generally transverse to the clip; and a retainer carried by one of the tool and the post, the retainer being configured to releasably engage the other one of the tool body an the post when the post is inserted into the clip aperture; wherein the post may be inserted into the clip aperture from either the first side of the tool body or the second side of the tool body.
 2. The tool of claim 1, wherein the retainer is carried by the tool body and carries a locking element that is biased into the clip aperture.
 3. The tool of claim 2, wherein the post includes a tapered leading edge that pushes the locking element outwardly from the clip aperture when the post is pushed into the clip aperture.
 4. The tool of claim 2, wherein the retainer includes a button that extends from the tool housing and wherein the locking element is moved away from the clip aperture when the button is pushed toward the tool housing.
 5. The tool of claim 2, wherein the retainer includes a button that is adapted to receive a manual input from a user, the button being disposed in-line with a spring that biases the locking element into an extended position.
 6. The tool of claim 4, wherein the locking element translates between the extended position and a retracted position.
 7. The tool of claim 6, wherein the retainer is carried by the tool body.
 8. The tool of claim 7, wherein a recess is formed into the post, the recess being configured to matingly engage the locking element.
 9. A method comprising: pushing a button to release a latch; withdrawing a belt clip from an aperture in a tool body; inserting the belt clip into the aperture from an opposite side of the tool body; and latching the belt clip to the tool housing.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein latching the belt clip to the tool housing occurs automatically when the belt clip is inserted into the aperture.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the latch is carried by the tool body.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the button is carried by the tool body.
 13. A fastening tool comprising: a housing having an aperture formed therethrough; a motor disposed in the housing; an output member that is configured to be driven by the motor; a latch carried by the housing, the latch including a locking element and a button; a spring biasing the locking element into an extended position within the aperture; and a clip having a post that is removably disposed in the aperture, the post including a recess that is configured to matingly engage the locking element.
 14. The fastening tool of claim 13, wherein the output member is a driver.
 15. The fastening tool of claim 13, wherein the post includes a tapered leading edge that pushes the locking element away from the extended position when the post is pushed into the aperture.
 16. The fastening tool of claim 13, wherein the spring is disposed in-line with the button.
 17. The fastening tool of claim 13, wherein the latch translates between the extended position and a retracted position. 